


Ground rules.

by areeskimosreal



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22787035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areeskimosreal/pseuds/areeskimosreal
Summary: Kayleigh's first evening at John's after moving in does not go according to plan.
Relationships: Kayleigh Kitson & John Redmond
Kudos: 9





	Ground rules.

**Author's Note:**

> A fun evening suddenly brings one of the injustices Kayleigh has suffered to the surface. Painful for her, rage inducing for John.

" I'll fill the dishwasher love, you get comfy "

" Okay Johnathan, I won't say no to that, I won't be long"

John put the dishes in the washer, and tidied the kitchen like he always did, he picked her shoes off the floor and after lifting her bag from the hall, put them away in the understairs cupboard. As he passed her jacket on the banister he caught a whiff of her perfume, he leant in closer and took a deep sniff of its flowery fragrance.

" What on earth are you doing ?" Kayleigh asked from the top landing, smiling warmly.

" It smells of you "

" I beg your pardon? "

" I mean of your perfume, it smells of your perfume, not of you obviously, you don't smell, well you do but it's a nice smell, you smell nice "

" Thank you, I think " Kayleigh smiled.

" I think I'll shut up now, and I'll just eh …. right " John smiled sheepishly and went into the front room.

Kayleigh shook her head, oh how she loved that man, he was a bit weird at times, but she loved him nonetheless.

Kayleigh followed John into the front room.

" Oh I see it's like that is it ?" Kayleigh said standing her hands on her hips. 

" What's like what love ?" John replied genuinely perplexed.

" While we were courting as you call it, we always sat together on the settee, but now first night together since I moved in you decide to sit there " 

John looked at her shocked, suddenly she grinned.

" Get yourself over here Redmond , this is our seat " she pointed to the settee.

" Right away m'lady "

John walked over and hugged Kayleigh tightly, he unconsciously sniffed her hair.

" If you say I smell Johnathan, you might find yourself in the spare room "

She felt John chuckle.

" As if I would "

" This feels right John, don't you think ?"

" Thanks for coming to live wi me love " John said kissing the top of her head.

" Thanks for having me "

" I hope you'll be happy here with me, I can be difficult I know that but I'll try to be different love"

Kayleigh pushed herself away from him but took hold of his hands, she shook her head as she looked in his eyes,

" Don't you dare change, I love every single thing about you, your moods, your stubbornness your addiction to Hobnobs, your penchant for lavender bath oil and all the other things that you think I think are weird, every one of them help make you you. Don't change a single thing John, not one single thing I love what I've got, I don't want it changed"

" Fair enough, but that works both ways okay ?"

" Okay "

" Good "

" Go brush your teeth John " 

" Why ?"

"Really, you have to ask ?"

" On my way "

An hour and a monumental settee based snogging session later, the loved up couple lay together, John snuggled in behind Kayleigh, a slow love song playlist just discernible in the background.

" Nice this eh ?"

" Wonderful " Kayleigh replied kissing John's hand.

" Hope we'll be this happy forever" John said absently.

Kayleigh wriggled off the settee and headed into the kitchen, John stretched and wondered what she was up to.

" If you tell me what you're after, I can tell you where it is ?" He shouted.

" No need " Kayleigh said as she walked back into the room " I've got them " she waved the pen and notepad as she entered.

" I usually make the shopping list on my phone "

" This ain't no shopping list John, this is way more important " 

" I'm intrigued " 

" Ground rules " 

" Ground rules ?"

" Yes ground rules "

" Why for christ's sake do you want to set ground rules "

" Because I don't want to ruin what we have by screwing things up, so if you tell me your ground rules, I'll know where I stand " 

" I'm not setting any ground rules, you live here, we're a couple end of " 

" No it's not, we need to have them "

" No we don't and no we're not "

" John I…………."

" No " 

" How much of what I hear you and Dave talk about on the car phone can I pass on ?"

" None of it, that's private " 

" Rule one " Kayleigh said writing in the notepad," no passing on private work stuff" 

She finished writing with a flourish, looked at John with a self satisfied smile and nodded.

" Okay smart arse point taken " John grinned he knew he'd met his match in Kayleigh. 

" In the same vein John, I'll tell you things that I hear at work, rumours most of it probably, but I'll still tell you, and I don't want you to go telling dave or Cath okay ?"

" Sure "

" I'm serious John "

" So am I " 

" Rule two, John doesn't grass " 

" As much as I don't want us to have secrets, why don't you just tell me what I need to know, as far as the store goes ?" John shrugged.

" What do you mean ?" 

" If someone tells you something that would get them or somebody else into trouble, don't tell me, let me find out through the normal process"

" Which is ?" 

" Janine tells Roisin, she tells Cath, and Cath tells me " as soon as he spoke he knew the little he said, was too much .

" Janine ?"

" Her and Roisin are right friendly "

" Janine tells the office staff the shop floor gossip does she ?"

" No she just tells Roisin"

" Wait until I see her " 

" You can't say I told you though can you ?

" Bugger, I'll have to be more circumspect around her, I mean I once told her what I'd like to do to …………….." Kayleigh stopped talking and started blushing.

" To what ?"

" Rule three " she tried to change the subject. 

" Like to do to what Kayleigh? "

" Not important " her blush was deepening. 

" To me was it ?" 

" Never you mind Johnathan "

" It was me wasn't it? " John was revelling in Kayleigh's embarrassment.

" Yes okay it was , happy now ?"

" What did you say ?" 

" I don't remember "

" You did a minute ago, you wouldn't have blushed if you didn't remember"

" All you have to know is that I've done what I said I'd like to do to you ,okay ?"

" Go on tell me " 

" No " 

" Go on" 

" Piss off John "

" Tell me " 

" Ask me once more and I'll not do what I said I'd like to do to you, to you ever again, understand " 

" No, but I'm going to risk asking " 

" Right moving on, rule three …….."

" Was it ……..?"

" Last warning John, I'm serious " Kayleigh snapped.

" Rule three " John said nodding towards the notepad. 

" Kiss you all over , alright ? " she looked away from him as she spoke.

" Eh ?"

" I said given the chance I'd kiss you all over, now you know okay ?"

" You told Janine that, how did that conversation come about ?"

" A while ago, a load fell in the warehouse, remember ?"

" Not really no, that happens a lot "

" It was a pallet of dog food, smelled like shit, "

" Aye, now I remember"

" You and the stock control guys manhandled it all back to the shelves " 

" And ?"

" You took your shirt and jacket off, me,Janine and Elsie passed, Janine commented on how hairy you were "

" And ?" John asked a blushing Kayleigh. 

" Without realising what I did, I said that I'd still kiss you all over, and they heard me ".

" Embarrassing "

" Aye a wee bit, but anyway rule three "

" What did they say ?

" Rule three John "

" Were they shocked, did they suspect before then, did they………?"

" John, my plan was to do this, then have a very early night" 

" How early ?"

" Way too early for sleeping " Kayleigh grinned.

" Rule three " John said nodding towards the notepad, a huge smile on his face.

" Okay, when I'm out, I assume you won't mind if I still go out with friends ?"

" Of course I don't "

" I won't bring them back, no partying here "

" Why ever not?"

" Because this is yours and you're a shy, private person"

" No " 

" No what John ?"

" No ,that's not a rule, you can have whoever you want back to our house, I know most of your friends anyway and I like showing off the fact that I've got you " 

" Oh John, that was a lovely thing to say "

" I mean it though "

" I know you do that's why it's so nice to hear "

" Once we're married ………"

" Eleven months ,eight days , seventeen hours, roughly " Kayleigh said smiling .

" Once we're married " John continued, " you wouldn't think twice about people visiting would you ?"

" I suppose not "

" So ?"

" You're a special type of man John, I'm so lucky to have you "

" I see it the other way babe, I'm the lucky one."

" So rule three is ?" 

" Bring friends back whenever you want " 

" That's a lovely rule, I like that one".

" Good " 

" Rule four, no hiding sweets and chocolate "

" As if "

" I'm serious John, if you want me to help you lose weight, no sneaky treats "

" I don't have sneaky treats "

" Johnathan Redmond you fibber "

" I don't,"

" Liar liar bums on fire, you do too "

" I beg to differ "

" So why is there Toblerone in the airing cupboard?"

" Ah " John knew he had been rumbled, " I forgot about that "

" Did you really?"

" Honest I did, I remember buying it now, but I forgot where I put it "

" I'm serious John, you know there's a history of heart problems in your family, I don't want to 

lose you darling "

" Okay, point taken, rule four, no hiding sweets and snacks "

" Right moving on, rule five "

" Jesus ,how many you planning babe " 

" Covering all the bases John, that's all "

" Right, rule five "

" When I'm out , and I tell you I'm going out say to the Crown, or to Weathers, I'll phone you to let you know if I'm anywhere else, or would you prefer I ask if it's okay if I go somewhere else ?"

" Eh ?"

" Can I go or would you prefer me to ask if I can go first ?" Kayleigh smiled as she asked.

" What do you mean , ask if you can go ?"

" What I mean Johnathan is that we will make it a rule that I'll stay where I said I was going, unless I ask you if I can go somewhere else "

" Fuck off " John chuckled, "you can't have a rule like that."

" Why not ? " 

" Because you can't "

" Okay then," Kayleigh said disappointedly " I'll just go where I said "

" I meant you can go where you want to babe, you don't need permission"

" What if you need to find me ? " 

" I'd phone you "

" Ha" Kayleigh scoffed " I could answer the phone and say I was anywhere "

" Why would you though ?"

" I wouldn't honestly "

" I know you wouldn't "

" I'd tell you exactly where I was "

" I believe you love "

" But you'd need to know, in case you had to check "

" Check what ?"

" That I was with who I said I would be with"

" Why would I need to know who you're with ?"

" So you don't need to worry about who I might see "

" Unless it's the grim reaper I'm not bothered " John grinned.

" This is serious John, to save any arguments, it's best that I just phone before I go somewhere else "

" Kayleigh love, you go where you want, okay ?"

" We need this rule John, it's important, I want to go out with my friends and know you won't get angry with me "

" I won't get angry wi ya love "

" So we need this rule, ………...please John "

" Did you have this rule before ?" John said through his teeth.

" Why are you getting angry John, I said I'd agree to the rule ?"

John snatched the notepad and pen from a shocked Kayleigh, he threw the pen on the floor and ground it underfoot, the notepad was ripped into several pieces and flung angrily into the bin in the kitchen.

" Who made that rule ?"

" What one ?" Kayleigh said, shaking.

" Rule fucking five, was it that bastard Darren?"

" It was for my own good " 

" Your own good, your own good, have you got bleeding Stockholm Syndrome or something?"

" Don't shout please John, I'm sorry "

" Nobody should have a rule like that, that's sick "

" But ………."

" But nothing , that's at least misogynistic if not worse "

" I'm sorry John " Kayleigh burst out crying .

John suddenly realised the scenario unfolding in front of their eyes. 

He grabbed Kayleigh and hugged her.

" Oh god Kayleigh darling I'm so sorry , I'm so so sorry, forgive me, I didn't mean to shout , I'm so so sorry " John could feel his own tears start. Kayleigh started hugging him back.

A short while later they were sitting hands entwined, listening to soft music.

" He said it was to keep me safe "

" Was it balls, it was to keep you under the thumb "

" It was so if he had to collect me he'd know where to go " 

" No it wasn't love, he was obviously so insecure that he wanted to control you, even when you were out of his sight, I know I don't need to "

" So I don't need to ask ?"

" You do what you want love,you don't need my permission for anything, you're a grown woman for christ's sake, we're equals in this relationship love, you're not mine to dictate to, you're proud and as far as I'm concerned independent "

" So I never need to check in ?"

" Tell me where you want dropped off, and phone me to let me know where you want picked up, that's it "

Kayleigh hugged John's arm.

" I trust you Kayleigh, I don't need to check, I know full well that you'll be chatted up or propositioned……." 

" John I'd never stray, I'm yours for keeps, you do know that don't you ?"

" I know that, but I will make one rule when you go out "

" Oh right " Kayleigh said with trepidation. 

" You get me to collect you, no matter where or at what time, okay ?"

" Yes darling " Kayleigh smiled at this most loving of men.

" I'm serious Kayleigh, I want to make sure you get home safe, so wherever and whenever okay ?

" Okay" 

" Good, you're too precious to me, I'd just worry "

" I'll never cause you worry John, cross my heart ".

As they lay in bed that night, sweaty and limbs entwined. John listened to Kayleigh's soft rhythmic breathing, how any man could treat her like she had been treated was beyond him.

He wondered if he should pay a certain gentleman a visit. He knew it wasn't really in his nature.

But then again he had changed recently….and with good cause.


End file.
